Month: November 2017

One of the most pressing issue in modern times is that of productivity. Many jobs require that you constantly be productive, or that you, at the very least, produce as much as you can. Whether it’s for personal growth, or for your job, being productive is incredibly important to us as human beings. Not only do we have many temptations in front of us daily when we’re working in the form of media, the internet, and more, but it’s difficult to focus and train your mind to stay focused when you need to the most. Here are the top tips for staying and being more productive everyday.

The first, and maybe the most valuable lesson when it comes to productivity is to make sure that you’re getting adequate sleep and exercise. By making sure that you have enough sleep and exercise, although you will have less time in the day to work, you will be more productive and get more things done while you are working. This is important to remember because if you’re someone who wants to focus on what they want out of life, it’s a great way to make sure that you’re taking care of your mind and body. Not only will more rest and exercise be better for your body, making you have to take less sick days, and feel less tired, but you’ll also feel better and happier while you are being productive.

Another way to be more productive is to set up a schedule for yourself and stick to it. When it comes to scheduling things, you will be more productive the more detailed you are in your schedule. There are many great apps that you can download onto your smartphone that help with this, but it’s also a good idea to keep a physical journal or agenda that has what you need in it. A popular activity for productivity that is gaining popularity is the bullet journal. This is where people make their own journals and customize it to fit their own personal lives. There are many different formats that you can choose from when it comes to bullet journalling, but whatever the case, having a pen and paper and having to sit down and write down everything that you need to do will help you remember and plan out your ideas. It’s also a good idea to journal as well. When you journal in the mornings or before you get to work, not only will you be getting more ideas on paper that can help in the future, but this can also help with clearing out the things that are going through our minds that distracts us from working.

When it comes to being productive, it’s also a good idea to make sure that you understand the importance of the tasks that you’re doing and organize them within a hierarchy. Always tackle your most important tasks first, and these can be harder to motivate yourself to do, and you can end up putting them off for longer periods of time. When it comes to the things lower down on the list, or things that are easy but time consuming, consider delegating that work to other people. For example, getting your checks and more from Deluxe For Business is a great way to take stress of your shoulders and have more time for more important work.

Local business listings mean that one can promote one’s business to local customers, who are often the most profitable and loyal customers. This idea stems from the age-old concept of advertising in the classified section of the local newspaper or yellow pages.

Increase Visibility

Most small business owners agree that being found on local search applications and directories is important but only about half of these business owners admit to updating their information on these listings as they have not made the time or effort to update their information. Clearly, small and local businesses face a major challenge when it comes to getting listed locally.

The increase in websites that are compatible with mobile phones has made consumers more tech savvy and proactive when searching for a local business. It is not surprising then that four out of five consumers in the United States now make use of search engines to find a local business. It is important to list your business in as many business directories as possible. Each business directory can be considered as a seperate market-place. The online market-place can be compared to a real world market-place – the more markets you sell your products in, the better your chances of being noticed. Think about it, chain stores usually open stores in every mall or city.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Why should a providing the right information matter? Put simply accurate and consistent information, makes it easier for customers to find you. To get the best out of search engine optimization, make use of the NAP+W formula:

N – Name

A – Address

P – Phone Number

W -Website

Search engines use the NAP formula to verify the existence of a business. In order for the search engine to validate the presence of your local business, it must confirm that the information provided is correct.

So, for example, if your business name is Sheri’s Chocolate Treats, and you accidentally type Sheris’ Chocolate Treats – placing the apostrophe after the last S instead of before the last S then the business will be listed incorrectly. There are plenty of “cupcake” boutiques in New York City? And there is certainly no shortage of “Financial Services” institutions in Manhattan.

There are plenty of “cupcake” boutiques in New York City? And there is certainly no shortage of “Financial Services” institutions in Manhattan. In order for a business to be authentic, it has to have all three of these elements of crucial information – name, address, and phone – and they all have to correspond on every listing.

When verifying the NAP for your business ask yourself the following information:

Has your business ever changed names?

Has your business ever changed locations?

Have you ever the changed the contact number of your business?

Whether or not you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should check out some of the local SEO citations and make sure that they are accurate and consistent. Below is an example of a local listing on a search engine.